The UAE has taken further steps to relax its residency requirements and will now grant 10-year visas to all PhD holders in the country.

UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum announced the move in a series of tweets on his official twitter channel on 15 November.

Today, we approved granting the 10-year Golden Visa to all PhD holders in the UAE. Also, the Golden Visa will be granted to top graduates from UAE-accredited universities with a GPA of 3.8 and above.

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) November 15, 2020

“UAE Golden Visa will also include UAE-based physicians, as well as engineers in the fields of computer science, electronics, programming, electricity and biotechnology," he said.

Other categories granted UAE Golden Residency are specialists in artificial intelligence (AI), big data, virology and epidemiology, as well as the UAE’s high school top graduates and their families.

"We are keen to embrace talent that drives future development and this is only the beginning,” he added.

Gold card scheme

The UAE launched its Gold Card residency scheme in May 2019. It grants permanent residency benefits to investors, entrepreneurs, specialised talents, researchers and outstanding students.

At the time, the government said it had identified the first 6,800 qualified expatriates from more than 70 countries who would benefit from the scheme. It said the current investments of the identified 6,800 residents are estimated to be worth AED100bn ($27bn).

The benefits of the permanent residency also include the spouse and children of the cardholder.

The UAE has been relaxing its residency requirements in an attempt to attract greater foreign investment and stimulate the local economy, making it more efficient and attractive for investors, while at the same time increasing competitiveness.

Long-term visas

The UAE Cabinet previously approved a long-term visa system for investors, entrepreneurs, scientific researchers, outstanding students and people with other specialist skills.

The law defines two categories of investor. The first is an investor with property with a value of AED5m or more. They will be granted residence for five years. The second is an investor with investments worth AED10m or more, with non-real estate assets accounting for at least 60 per cent of the total investment. They will be eligible for a renewable residency visa every 10 years.

Entrepreneurs will be granted a five-year visa if they have a previous project worth a minimum of AED500,000 or the approval of an accredited business incubator in the country. Entrepreneurs will be granted a five-year visa with the possibility of upgrading to an investor’s visa provided they meet the requirements.

The cabinet has also approved a law providing special residency visa privileges for expat retirees over the age of 55 who meet 'specific requirements'.

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